By Colleen Patterson

ILALA is a timeless lifestyle label borne in part from the idea of bringing exotic and native designs to the broader market. Its founder, Sheila, is intent on a maintaining a fashionably and socially responsible team. Her goal is to “give back to our artistic friends from remote places who have limited avenue in promoting their creativity to the world.” And it all starts with ecommerce marketing.

This week, Sheila shared with us her source of inspiration, where she started her company with e-commerce marketing, her future plans, and an promotion to share with the Muses community!

How long have you been a creator? Tell us how you got your start.

I just started building my brand in January of this year.After I graduated college, I came to America as an exchange visitor. I love traveling and the most interesting people I meet whenever I explore places are the creative individuals behind handmade crafts! Once I settled in Los Angeles, I decided to build a lifestyle brand inspired by people I’ve met and the exotic places I have discovered throughout my travel .

What inspires you on the daily; any idols?

My inspiration is life in general. Life has a lot to offer and I want to make the most of it. Los Angeles, specifically, is a land of opportunity and I don’t want to waste a single moment here. My idols are the ordinary people living THE life!

Tell us the most challenging aspect about continually creating. How do you manage?

For me, starting is always the most challenging aspect. There are so many resources, inspirations, motivations, and (unsolicited) advice around me, it’s hard to know where to start! However, I’m able to manage by having self-discipline. I tell myself that there’s only one way to move forward: start with something. So, little by little, I’m achieving short term goals one at a time.

Pictured: Quinn @qcove

Where did you start with ecommerce marketing?

I started by reaching out to my friends and family within my inner circle. I sent them gifts and asked for their honest opinions on the products. From there, I made my own website, created my social accounts, and slowly gained subscribers by collaborating with bloggers and using influencer marketing.

What are your favorite types of projects to work on?

My favorite type of project to work on is developing designs. I love the feeling I get when the product’s outcome is the exact image I had in mind!

Have you ever had a feeling of having “made it?” What was it like?

Yes! Best feeling ever! I get the feeling whenever I accomplish something even the little things.

Pictured: “The Ellen” @ilalashop

What’s next for you?

The next big thing for us is to attract and work with curated retailers. We’d like to offer our products to a broader market. We are also continuously developing our vast array of products, such as accessories, home accents, and relaxing destinations. Watch out for these. We are very excited!

Anything else you’d like to plug?

We recently launched our website.Check it out! We just included our ESCAPADE collection to the site, where we are featuring not-so-ordinary destinations. You can even book through us! As a lifestyle brand, we want to offer a sense of peace and relaxation because everyone deserves a vacay!

For more tips on how to continually drive traffic to your site that converts, check out these posts: